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Before I get all the hate messages saying that looking to joining a firm based on making partner is foolish. I'm here to preempt all such discussion by conceding that I know that no matter where you go the chances of making partner are minimal. I just want more knowledge on what the chances are across different firms. TLS has a wealth of knowledge and I would like to be educated on this subject.

Just based on a rudimentary knowledge of the structure of biglaw firms, I would suppose that the best chances of making partner come from joining firms that are not highly leveraged. Am I wrong in assuming that its easier to make partner at a Wachtell, W&C, or Munger than it is at Cravath, Covington, or Gibson Dunn.

Also could someone just tell list firms with PPP of 1 million or above that offer the best chances at partner also which have the shortest track as well.

liLtuneChi wrote:Before I get all the hate messages saying that looking to joining a firm based on making partner is foolish. I'm here to preempt all such discussion by conceding that I know that no matter where you go the chances of making partner are minimal. I just want more knowledge on what the chances are across different firms. TLS has a wealth of knowledge and I would like to be educated on this subject.

Just based on a rudimentary knowledge of the structure of biglaw firms, I would suppose that the best chances of making partner come from joining firms that are not highly leveraged. Am I wrong in assuming that its easier to make partner at a Wachtell, W&C, or Munger than it is at Cravath, Covington, or Gibson Dunn.

Also could someone just tell list firms with PPP of 1 million or above that offer the best chances at partner also which have the shortest track as well.

there is no easy way to make partner, period. if you aren't partner material, you wont make partner at any firm. looking for an "easiest" path is one strike against your assertion that you will ever be partner anywhere.

Anonymous User wrote:there is no easy way to make partner, period. if you aren't partner material, you wont make partner at any firm. looking for an "easiest" path is one strike against your assertion that you will ever be partner anywhere.

I think you misunderstood what I meant by "easier".

I'm talking about it in the same sense as it being "easier" to get into a V5 firm from HLS than GULC. Sure its gonna be hard either way and your gonna have to work hard at either school, but its widely acknowledged that its probably gonna be easier at HLS to get a V5 job than at GULC simply because the top firms recruit more from HLS.

In the same way, I know its gonna take hard work no matter what. But I would like to put myself in the best position possible.

The elite litigation boutiques will usually have better chances of making partners. In the NY firms, you have a better chance of making partner from the corporate department, because they are both less highly leveraged and promote more partners.

In terms of firms, you gotta look at the numbers. Jones Day, for example, has a very low leverage and promotes dozens of partners each year.

I think it's a joke based on the last few ATL articles on those firms. Orrick was profiled in how they are beginning to hire more non-partner-track attorneys, and OMM was basically predicted to be the next Howrey.

rayiner wrote:The elite litigation boutiques will usually have better chances of making partners. In the NY firms, you have a better chance of making partner from the corporate department, because they are both less highly leveraged and promote more partners.

In terms of firms, you gotta look at the numbers. Jones Day, for example, has a very low leverage and promotes dozens of partners each year.

which boutiques are you talking about?

could you provide a couple of names

and which NYC corporate departments are you talking about when you say they less leveraged and promote more partners?

rayiner wrote:The elite litigation boutiques will usually have better chances of making partners. In the NY firms, you have a better chance of making partner from the corporate department, because they are both less highly leveraged and promote more partners.

In terms of firms, you gotta look at the numbers. Jones Day, for example, has a very low leverage and promotes dozens of partners each year.

which boutiques are you talking about?

could you provide a couple of names

and which NYC corporate departments are you talking about when you say they less leveraged and promote more partners?

thanks

Bartlit Beck, Keker van Nest, etc.

Also, nearly all NYC corporate departments are less leveraged than their litigation departments. By a substantial margin (usually 3.5:1 versus 5:1).

Saying that less leveraged firms have higher partnership chances actually misreads the situation. Highly leveraged and prestigious firms often have associates lateral to become partners elsewhere. Your odds of making partner AT Skadden might look lower than your odds at Wachtell, but I'd bet it evens out somewhat if you look at the careers of Skadden lawyers moving to other firms.

thesealocust wrote:Saying that less leveraged firms have higher partnership chances actually misreads the situation. Highly leveraged and prestigious firms often have associates lateral to become partners elsewhere. Your odds of making partner AT Skadden might look lower than your odds at Wachtell, but I'd bet it evens out somewhat if you look at the careers of Skadden lawyers moving to other firms.

thesealocust wrote:Saying that less leveraged firms have higher partnership chances actually misreads the situation. Highly leveraged and prestigious firms often have associates lateral to become partners elsewhere. Your odds of making partner AT Skadden might look lower than your odds at Wachtell, but I'd bet it evens out somewhat if you look at the careers of Skadden lawyers moving to other firms.

I don't know how true this is.

I personally met a small army of partners at DC firms who started work in big / prestigious NYC firms during recruiting. This is the kind of thing that would be extremely difficult to quantify, but I think it's a real phenomenon.

thesealocust wrote:Saying that less leveraged firms have higher partnership chances actually misreads the situation. Highly leveraged and prestigious firms often have associates lateral to become partners elsewhere. Your odds of making partner AT Skadden might look lower than your odds at Wachtell, but I'd bet it evens out somewhat if you look at the careers of Skadden lawyers moving to other firms.

I don't know how true this is.

I personally met a small army of partners at DC firms who started work in big / prestigious NYC firms during recruiting. This is the kind of thing that would be extremely difficult to quantify, but I think it's a real phenomenon.

I put "step down the law firm food chain to make partner at a less prestigious firm" in the "exit options" bucket, not the "partnership chances" bucket.